Fruit Tart

       “If you write the word “stressed” backwards, you’ll get “desserts”. Coincidence? I don’t think so” – this quote of an anonymous smart man got my attention in a newspaper. Indeed, what is a better comfort food than the one that gives you a sweet pleasure of forgetting all the bad things in the world? And, as the winter begins, the best way to fight a melancholic or sombre mood is to indulge in a dessert that tastes fresh and looks sunny and bright – like a fruit tart that instantly reminds you of warm days and brings back the memories of a recent vocation. Luckily, all sorts of exotic fruits are now readily available throughout the whole year. So, why not to gift yourself with a piece of summer on a plate and to boost the spirits with a fruity and creamy treat?

            To say true, I had a baked tart case in my freezer (the one that was left after the final assembly of the Gingerbread house that I made for a Halloween party). So, I figured out that the best and the easiest way to use the tart would be simply to fill it with cream and to decorate with fresh fruits. And it turned out to be just the perfect treat for the beginning of a cold season!

Ingredients:

Pate brisee

250 gm plain flour

125 gm softened butter

3 tbsp castor sugar

1 egg

2 tbsp cold water

1 tbsp orange zest

a pinch of salt

Chantilly cream

250 ml cream

1 tbsp vanilla sugar

2 tbsp icing sugar

Filling

50 gm dark chocolate, melted

Chantilly cream

4 kiwis

¼ papaya

3 red grapes

Glazing

3 tbsp apricot jam

1 tsp Cointreau

Method:

1. For pate brisee, mix sifted flour with salt and sugar. Make a well in the centre, add butter, a beaten egg, orange zest and cold water. Knead into dough as quickly as possible. Form the dough into a ball, wrap in foil and leave to rest for at least half an hour in the fridge.
2. Preheat the oven to 180C. Line and grease a 25-cm round tart tin. Roll the dough into a circle and put it in the tin. Prick the base with a fork and blind bake (with cartouche and bakers weights on top) for 15 minutes. Remove the cartouche and bake for 10 minutes more or until golden brown in colour. Allow to cool, then brush with the melted chocolate and put in the fridge.
3. For chantilly cream, whip the cream till soft peaks, add vanilla and icing sugar. Whip till rather firm, but not very stiff peaks are formed. Fill the tart with the cream.
4. Cut the kiwi fruits in thin slices, make balls of papaya using a parissiene scoop and halve the grapes. Arrange the fruits on the top of the tart.
5. For glazing, melt the apricot jam over low heat, allow to cool slightly, then stir in the liquor. Brush the fruits with the mixture.